Old Habits
by LoveWritingxoxo
Summary: Lucas can't let go of Brooke, and Peyton is starting to figure that out...BL, BP, LP


**Summary: **Lucas still keeps in touch with the one person that understands him better than anyone, the one person he wished hadn't pushed him away, the person he wishes he chose to call, BL, BP LP

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, One Tree Hill belongs to an asshole and not me

**Author's Notes: **So this is an AU, just a lil something from my imagination . It's based off a song, Jolene, by Dolly Parton. Now, of course, Brooke Davis would never steal someone else's man, she's classy. But I just thought the way Dolly was describing how Jolene looked, resembled that of Brooke, so…yeah, here I go.

**Old Habits**

_Your beauty is beyond compare_

_with flaming locks of Auburn hair _

_with Ivory skin_

_and eyes, of emerald green_

Lucas sat at his desk, as he began writing what was probably his millionth letter to a certain brunette stuck back in Tree Hill. She poured out her heart to him in those _82 letters_ she wrote to him back in high school, all those years ago. And still today, she does the same, only not confessing her undying love for him.

He repeated her actions – pouring out his heart to her in every letter, every chance he got, although him too not confessing his undying love for her.

Two souls being truthfully dishonest in every word they wrote.

An 'I miss you' really meant to mean 'I love you'. An 'I'm happy for you, Luke' really meant to mean 'I wish that was me.'

He really wishes he could say all those things to her, but, there were two problems.

**One:** It wouldn't be as romantic in a letter as in person.

**Two:** It would ruin the friendship they worked so hard to build up over the years.

Peyton watched on from a distance as her husband jotted down words, feverishly onto paper, smiling to himself every now and then.

Every time was a different excuse.

Every time she caught him.

In his crazy writing phases, she'd ask him what he was working on, hoping it was a sequel to their love story.

"Oh it's nothing, don't worry about it." came the lame excuse, which only made her worry even more.

Or sometimes it would be, "Just adding a little something to the great Lucas and Peyton story!" he smiled.

Bur there was something in his smile that made her worry. Hesitation.

She also knew this couldn't be true because that file was saved on his computer, and every so often, she'd sneak a peek on his laptop.

That file hadn't been touched in months.

She knew what he was doing. It was only a couple of months ago that she had found the famous Brooke Davis box he had told her about many years ago back in high school. The box with the _82 letters._ She examined the contents in the box intently and noticed some letters had been added to the box. There were supposed to be only _82 letters_ in the box.

She counted 125.

She finally realized the old friends picked up there old tradition. What hurt her even more was the fact that Brooke wasn't even the one who made the first move to continue the habit. As she read the 83 letter she noticed this phrase:

_Thanks so much for writing me Luke! Man I haven't talked to you in ages!_

_But I'm glad you decided to write me. It's been too long!_

She decided not to read the first _82 letters_.

Realizing it would be too hard to read Brooke pour out her heart and confess her love for Lucas. She started from letter 83 and from there on, read all the 43 new letters.

They had a lot of inside jokes, she noticed quickly. Jokes she didn't understand and probably never would.

She was glad Lucas was working late as she began working on letter 120.

She wished she knew what he was saying in his. It would make the situation a tad bit better if she just knew what he was thinking.

_He talks about you in his sleep_

_there's nothing I can do to keep from crying_

_when he calls your name_

He thought he had her fooled.

He thought she didn't have a clue what he was doing but she knew. She knew very well.

She was always the first one to get the mail. The first one to read new letters that came, and sealed them back as if they hadn't been touched.

It wasn't until one day, reality hit her.

She faced a truth she has been trying to ignore for the past couple of months.

She came into their room and heard Lucas taking a shower. She collapsed onto their bed, tired from a long day of work.

She took in the scenery of their room, wondering to herself if she could draw it. She then noticed something on the desk, Lucas' letter. He must've forgotten to put it away, thinking she'd probably come home later.

She walked over to it slowly and picked it up. She wondered to herself, if she should

a) Be a good wife and just trust her husband

Or

b) Invade his privacy, like she had been secretly doing with all the letters Brooke sent here over the months.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she looked down at the letter and noticed something that made her suck in a breath.

_Well, I'll talk to you soon._

_I love you, __**Pretty Girl**__, and I miss you…_

_Love, _

_Lucas._

Peyton felt the tears form in her eyes. _Pretty Girl_ was her name.

Well, it was Brooke's first, but he made it hers that night he proposed to her. Right?

At that moment, Lucas stepped out of the bathroom. She turned around and their eyes locked as he noticed what she was holding.

"Peyton…" he tried but before he could, she balled up the piece of paper and threw it in his face before stalking off.

She stormed out of the house, drove to the airport, and booked the first flight to Tree Hill.

* * *

><p>Brooke woke to the sound of loud banging on her door.<p>

"Who the hell stops by at 5 am?" she muttered to know one in particular.

The banging persisted as she made her way downstairs.

She swung the door open letting out an exasperated "What the hell?" before realizing she was face to face with none other than her best friend. The girl she hadn't seen or spoke to in almost two years.

Peyton stood before her with tears streaming down her face. Before she could ask what was wrong, the blonde spoke.

"It's gotta stop." she said firmly, trying her hardest not to break down.

"What – what are you talking about?"

"The letters, Brooke I know about the letters!" she yelled. "Were you gonna keep doing this behind my back? Making him fall in love with you all over again!"

"Whoa Peyton, calm down okay? Lucas is not in love with me. The letters are just…" she trailed off, trying to find the right words to reassure the blonde.

"The letters are just two friends not wanting to let go of old habits." she finished.

"Yeah, those old habits also include you confessing your undying love to him!"

Brooke scoffed and stared at her so-called best friend in disbelief.

"Who the hell do you think you are Peyton? You think you can just show up here, after not calling or even visiting and tell me how to live my life?"

"Who the hell do you think you are writing love letters to my husband behind my back?"

Brooke rolled her eyes in frustration. "They're not love letters." she said simply.

"That's bullshit Brooke and you know it!" Peyton knew Brooke didn't deserve this but she couldn't help but to hate her for this.

"You've seen his writing and you know that one simple phrase can mean a million different things!" she threw her hands up in defeat.

Brooke just stared at her friend, noticing how broken she had become.

"I know he loves you Brooke, and I know you still love him." Brooke looked away as the reality of her words sunk in.

_And I could easily understand_

_how you can easily take my man_

_but you don't know what he means to me_

But I just – "she struggled with her words, not really wanting to hurt the brunette.

"I just need you to back off. I need this Brooke, I need us to work out." she stated.

"That's not love Peyt – "

"I don't care!" she exclaimed. "I need this and I want this and I'm gonna fight as hard as I can until he is finally over you and we're happy again and in love." she said shrugging her shoulders.

"Even if it's all a lie?"

Peyton stared at her friend, knowing how desperate she looked. "Yeah." she whispered. "Please." she stared pleadingly at the brunette.

"And why the hell should I do anything for you?" she asked, her words dripping with disgust. "All our lives you've never been nearly as good a friend as I was to you! And now, out of the blue, you want something from me!"

"I'm serious Brooke, just back off." Peyton then walked away from Brooke.

Brooke stared at her retreating figure and wondered why they had ever been friends in the first place. She stood her guard as Peyton took one last lingering glance her way before getting in her car.

_I had to have this talk with you_

_my happiness depends on you_

_and whatever you decide to do_

They both knew what was gonna happen. Brooke would back off. She was just that kind of person and knew that somewhere, buried deep inside of her, her feelings for Lucas began to resurface right around the time he sent her his first letter.

Brooke walked back inside her house and buried herself in that little thing that was always there to help her when mending a broken heart.

Staying away from Lucas Scott was gonna be hard, but she had to it. Not for Peyton's sake or Lucas', but for the sake of herself.

* * *

><p>"I love her, Peyton." was the first thing she heard as she walked into their house. She looked around and noticed all his stuff was boxed up.<p>

"Luke…" she said, pleading with her eyes for him to stop.

"I'm sorry. I've been lying to myself, you and her for the longest time." he gazed into her eyes. "I have to be honest now, for once."

"I went to see Brooke. She doesn't love you."

Her words take him by surprise and he can't help but think she's lying.

"She's seeing someone." she said so nonchalantly, as if it was nothing to him. "So are you finally gonna give up, and give us a chance?"

"I'm so sorry Peyton." he said sincerely, really believing Brooke was over him.

"It's okay." she nodded. "Just throw it out."

He didn't have to ask what she was talking about. He knew she found the box.

He just didn't want to let go of her just yet.

Not yet.

* * *

><p><strong>so I didn't mean for this to be half pro-leyton and half pro-brucas, it was supposed to be brucas all the way, but I thought this would be a good beginning for the sequel… =D<strong>

**should I?**

**let me know what you think, review please**


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